Montreal Canadiens standout forward Ivan Demidov has officially confirmed that he will spend the entirety of the 2026 NHL offseason in North America, prioritizing intensive developmental training over a return to his native Russia. Coming off a spectacular debut campaign where he racked up 62 points on 19 goals and 43 assists across 82 regular-season games, the 20-year-old rising star has quickly cemented his place at the absolute center of Montreal’s young core. Demidov, who recently earned a prestigious selection to the NHL All-Rookie Team after leading all first-year league players in total points, assists, and power-play production, noted that Montreal provides the ultimate environment to fine-tune his explosive skill set.
Rather than flying back across the Atlantic or participating in the high-profile Match of the Year exhibition showcase in St. Petersburg, Demidov returned immediately to Canada following a brief one-week vacation in Mexico to jumpstart his summer conditioning routine.
A dynamic KHL pipeline unites in Quebec as two elite Canadiens prospects join forces
Adding a thrilling narrative layer to Montreal’s summer schedule, Demidov will not be hitting the ice alone; he is opening his home to fellow countryman and highly touted Canadiens prospect Alexander Zharovsky. The 19-year-old Salavat Yulaev forward, whom Montreal selected 34th overall in the second round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, traveled directly to town to settle in with Demidov ahead of the franchise’s upcoming summer development camp. «We will train together, and I will show him around the city,» Demidov stated, expressing genuine excitement about mentoring his childhood friend while guiding him through his first true taste of the Montreal hockey atmosphere. The arrangement offers a massive developmental advantage for Zharovsky—the reigning KHL Rookie of the Year who registered 42 points this past winter—as he transitions onto North American ice sizes alongside a player who just successfully navigated that exact physical hurdle.
Strong professional foundations position Montreal’s young core for a massive future
Looking back at the structural roots of his immediate NHL success, Demidov heavily credits his formative years with SKA St. Petersburg and the hands-on guidance of former head coach Roman Rotenberg for giving him the physical durability required to thrive in a heavily physical league. The young winger’s elite preparation paid massive dividends in the spring, where he recorded nine postseason points during Montreal’s thrilling run to the Eastern Conference Final, which included hard-fought series victories over the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres before a third-round exit against Carolina. While parallel plotlines in the hockey world saw Demidov monitoring the 2026 FIFA World Cup in support of his favorite athlete, Cristiano Ronaldo, his primary focus remains fixed on the ice. Fueled by the electric postseason atmosphere generated by the local fanbase, Demidov is utilizing this collaborative summer training block to ensure Montreal’s young, rapidly ascending squad takes the next competitive step toward a Stanley Cup.